WO2018112785A1

WO2018112785A1 - Control method and device based on set-top box

Info

Publication number: WO2018112785A1
Application number: PCT/CN2016/111276
Authority: WO
Inventors: 彭明建
Original assignee: 深圳市瑞珀数码科技有限公司
Priority date: 2016-12-21
Filing date: 2016-12-21
Publication date: 2018-06-28

Abstract

The present invention falls within the field of communications. Provided are a control method and device based on a set-top box. The method comprises: a set-top box detecting the latest version in a network so as to acquire latest version information; and the set-top box comparing the latest version information with local version information, and if the two are different, downloading an upgrade file of the latest version information, and upgrading the set-top box according to the upgrade file. The present invention has the advantage of video smooth playing.

Description

Control method and device based on set top box

Technical field

The present invention relates to the field of communications, and in particular, to a control method and apparatus based on a set top box.

Background technique

Digital Video Converter Box (English: Set Top Box, referred to as STB), commonly referred to as a set-top box or set-top box, is a device that connects a television to an external source. It converts compressed digital signals into TV content and displays them on the TV. Signals can come from cable, satellite antennas, broadband networks, and terrestrial broadcasts.

The existing set-top box performs video playback based on the wired network. When the set-top box is upgraded, it is generally required to be based on the user's consent, and the historical information that is viewed after the upgrade is lost, resulting in inconvenience to the user.

technical problem

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a control method based on a set top box, which mainly solves the shortcomings of historical information loss after the existing upgrade.

Technical solution

In a first aspect, a method for controlling a set top box is provided, the method comprising the steps of: the set top box detects the latest version in the network, and obtains the latest version information; the set top box compares the latest version information with the local version information, such as comparison If it is not the same, download the upgrade file of the latest version information and upgrade the set-top box according to the upgrade file.

Optionally, the obtaining the latest version information includes:

Obtaining the first version information of the set top box in the network. If the first version information is different from the locally stored version information, determining that the first version information is the latest version information.

Optionally, the obtaining the latest version information includes:

Obtain the upload time of the upgrade file of the set-top box in the network. The later the upload time, the higher the version.

Optionally, the method further includes: managing power of the set top box.

Optionally, the managing the power of the set top box specifically includes:

Calculate the working time of the set-top box, and estimate the operating habits of the set-top box according to the working time. The operating habits include: the working time range of the set-top box and the non-working time range, and the set-top box is standby in the working time range, and the set-top box is in the non-working time range. The power is off.

A second aspect provides a control device based on a set top box, the device comprising: a detecting unit, configured to detect an latest version in the network, and obtain latest version information; and a processing unit, configured to perform latest version information and local version information If the comparison is not the same, download the latest version of the upgrade file and upgrade the set-top box according to the upgrade file.

Optionally, the obtaining unit is configured to obtain the first version information of the set top box in the network. If the first version information is different from the locally stored version information, determining that the first version information is the latest version information.

Optionally, the obtaining unit is specifically configured to obtain an uploading time of the upgrade file of the set top box in the network, and the later the uploading time, the higher the version.

Optionally, the processing unit is specifically configured to manage the power of the set top box.

Optionally, the processing unit is specifically configured to calculate a working time of the set top box, and estimate an operating habit of the set top box according to the working time, where the operating habit includes: a working time range of the set top box and a non-working time range, within the working time range Standby the set-top box and turn off the power of the set-top box during the non-working time range.

Beneficial effect

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that although the following detailed description is made with reference to the illustrated embodiments and drawings, the invention is not limited to these embodiments. Rather, the scope of the invention is intended to be limited the scope of the invention

DRAWINGS

Other features, objects, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the Detailed Description of Description

1 is a flow chart of a method for controlling a set top box according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a structural diagram of a set top box according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a structural diagram of a set top box according to the present invention.

Embodiments of the invention

Before discussing the exemplary embodiments in more detail, it should be noted that some exemplary embodiments are described as a process or method depicted as a flowchart. Although the flowcharts describe various operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be implemented in parallel, concurrently or concurrently. In addition, the order of operations can be rearranged. The process may be terminated when its operation is completed, but may also have additional steps not included in the figures. The processing may correspond to methods, functions, procedures, subroutines, subroutines, and the like.

The term 'computer device', also referred to as 'computer', in the context, refers to an intelligent electronic device that can perform predetermined processing procedures such as numerical calculations and/or logical calculations by running predetermined programs or instructions, which may include a processor and The memory is executed by the processor to execute a predetermined process pre-stored in the memory to execute a predetermined process, or is executed by hardware such as an ASIC, an FPGA, a DSP, or the like, or a combination of the two. Computer devices include, but are not limited to, servers, personal computers, notebook computers, tablets, smart phones, and the like.

The methods discussed below, some of which are illustrated by flowcharts, can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or any combination thereof. When implemented in software, firmware, middleware or microcode, the program code or code segments to carry out the necessary tasks can be stored in a machine or computer readable medium, such as a storage medium. The processor(s) can perform the necessary tasks.

The specific structural and functional details disclosed are merely representative and are for the purpose of describing exemplary embodiments of the invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many alternative forms and should not be construed as being limited only to the embodiments set forth herein.

It should be understood that although the terms 'first', 'second', and the like may be used herein to describe the various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one unit from another. For example, a first unit could be termed a second unit, and similarly a second unit could be termed a first unit, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments. The term 'and/or' used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the particular embodiments, The singular forms "a", "an", and <RTIgt; It will also be understood that the terms 'comprising' and/or 'comprising' are used herein to the <RTI ID=0.0> </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; </ RTI> <RTIgt; Other features, integers, steps, operations, units, components, and/or combinations thereof.

It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions/acts noted may occur in a different order than that illustrated in the drawings. For example, two figures shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently or sometimes in the reverse order, depending on the function/acts involved.

The invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a control method based on a set top box is provided. The set top box includes, but is not limited to, a set top box separately or a box integrated inside the smart TV, and of course, in actual applications, it may also be a subsequent set top type device.

In one embodiment, the above method based on the control of the set top box can be used in the set top box. It should be noted that the set top box is merely an example, and other existing or future set top boxes may be included if applicable to the present invention. It is within the scope of the invention and is hereby incorporated by reference.

The method provided by the present invention detects the playing condition of the cable television video source in the set top box. If the playing condition is abnormal, the cable video source is replaced with the network video file for video playing.

Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a method for controlling a set top box according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The method is completed by a set top box having at least two interfaces, the first interface being a cable television interface, and the second The interface is a network interface. The method is as shown in FIG. 1 and includes the following steps:

Step S101: The set top box detects the latest version in the network, and obtains the latest version information.

The version information of the set-top box may be V1.0 or V1.1, and the latest version information may be determined according to the version number of the version, and the version number may be V1.0 or V1.1, etc., of course, in practical applications, The version information can also be determined based on the upload time of the file. The later the upload time, the higher the version.

Step S102: The set top box compares the latest version information with the local version information. If the comparison is different, the upgrade file of the latest version information is downloaded, and the set top box is upgraded according to the upgrade file.

After the step S202, the method may further include:

Manage the power of the set top box. The specific implementation method may be: counting the working time of the set top box, and estimating the operating habit of the set top box according to the working time, the operating habits include: a working time range of the set top box and a non-working time range, and the set top box is in standby during the working time range, The set-top box power is turned off during the non-working time range.

This method is to avoid the set-top box always standby, standby will lead to waste of power, but long-term shutdown will affect the user's use, so it is very important to perform different operations for different customers' habits, here through working hours and non-working hours. Differentiate work habits. For example, if the user does not watch TV between 12 pm and 7 am, the power of the set top box can be turned off.

The specific way to get the operating habits can be:

The TV viewing frequency of multiple time periods set in Monday to Sunday is counted in units of weeks. If the viewing frequency of the time period is higher than the frequency threshold, the time end is marked as working time, otherwise it is marked as non-working time. . For example, if user 1 watches TV at 8:00 pm on Monday, the time period corresponding to 8:00 pm on Monday is marked as working time.

Digital TV set-top box is a kind of digital TV A conversion device that converts a signal into an analog signal that decodes and restores the digitally compressed image and sound signals to produce analog video and sound signals Provide high-quality TV programs to viewers through TV monitors and audio equipment. The current digital TV set-top box has become an embedded computing device with a complete real-time operating system and a powerful CPU. Computational capabilities to coordinate control of the hardware components of the set-top box and provide an easy-to-use graphical user interface, such as an enhanced TV electronic program guide, to provide users with graphical introductions and background information. At the same time, the set-top box has the ability of 'stupid computer', so that through the internal software functions and the two-way transformation of the network, it is easy to implement various services such as Internet browsing, video on demand, home e-commerce, telephone communication, etc. .

TV From the black-and-white TV to the color TV, a compatible approach was adopted, and the PAL-D system has continued in China until now.

The transition from analog TV to high-definition digital TV is a leap-forward transition. It can be said that it cannot be directly compatible. That is to say, all current analog TVs cannot be used, so it is unrealistic to take one step. A transitional approach—a digital set-top box that uses a digital set-top box to convert digital signals into analog signal inputs to present analog TV displays, effectively avoiding the interference and loss caused by the TV signal during transmission. The quality of the signal received by the TV has been greatly improved. This is just a transition, and because the analog TV's scan line is fixed, it has a considerable distance compared to high-definition digital TV.

High-definition digital television (HDTV) is the future development direction. By that time, the analog TVs have all been eliminated, and the shooting, recording and editing equipment of the TV stations have been replaced accordingly. What people will see on the TV screen will be high-definition. With TV screens and more features, HDTV will bring TV to a new era.

Someone asked if the signal received by the digital set-top box is a high-definition digital TV? No, after using a digital set-top box, the digital signal is converted into Analog signal Input to the current analog TV display information, so the quality of the signal received by the TV has been greatly improved, because the analog TV set scan line has been set, so it is quite large compared with high-definition digital TV the distance. This is just a transition.

Basic functions / Digital TV set-top box Edit

Digital TV set-top box

The basic function of a digital TV set-top box is to receive digital TV broadcasts with all broadcast and interactive multimedia. Application features, including: (1) Electronic Program Guide (EPG): It provides users with an easy-to-use, user-friendly, quick-access method of viewing programs that users can see on one or more channels or even all A TV show that will be played on the channel in the near future. (2) High-speed data broadcasting: It can provide users with various information such as stock market quotes, ticket information, electronic newspapers, and popular websites. (3) Software online upgrade: It can be regarded as one of the applications of data broadcasting. The data broadcast server broadcasts the upgrade software according to the DVB data broadcast standard, and the set top box can recognize the version number of the software, receive the software when the version is different, and update the software stored in the memory. (4) Conditional reception: The core of conditional reception is scrambling and encryption, and the digital set-top box has descrambling and decryption functions. In short, the technical content of cable digital set-top boxes is very high, it reflects the multimedia, Computers, digital compression coding, descrambling algorithms, encryption and decryption algorithms, communication technologies and network technology development levels, so its cost and market sales price is also higher than analog set-top boxes. [2]

Input interface / digital TV set-top box

Digital TV set-top box input and output interface

1, signal input

2, signal loop output

3, RCA

4, YPbPr

5, S-VIDEO

6, SPDIF

7, USB 8,

Network Interface

Hardware Structure / Digital TV Set Top Box Edit

1, the mainboard mainboard

2, power supply Power board

3, remote control and button control panel Front PCB

4, high frequency head Tuner

5, RF modulator RF

6, upgrade the serial port RS-232

7, flash flash

8, audio and video output interface RCA, SPDIF, HDMI

9. Conditional Access System CA Module

Main Technology / Digital TV Set Top Box Edit

Channel decoding, source decoding, modulation coding of uplink data, embedded CPU, MPEG-2 decompression, set-top box software, display control and descrambling are the main technologies of digital TV set-top boxes.

信道解码Channel decoding

The channel decoding circuit in the digital television set top box is equivalent to the tuner and intermediate frequency amplifier in the analog television set. In digital TV set-top boxes, the tuner is a must, but the tuning range includes satellite channels, terrestrial TV reception channels, and cable TV. Add channel. According to the modulation methods currently available in DTV, channel decoding should include QPSK, QAM, OFDM, and VSB demodulation functions.

Source decoding

After the analog signal is digitized, the amount of information is proliferating, and the corresponding data compression standard must be adopted. Digital TV broadcasting uses the MPEG-2 video compression standard for a variety of sharp image quality. Audio currently has AC-3 and MPEG-2 standards. The source decoder must adapt to different coding strategies and correctly restore the original audio and video data.

Modulation coding of uplink data

To carry out interactive applications, it is necessary to consider the modulation coding problem of uplink data. At present, there are three methods commonly used, which use the telephone line to transmit uplink data, the Ethernet card to transmit uplink data, and the uplink data to be transmitted through the wired network.

Embedded CPU

The embedded CPU is the heart of the digital TV set-top box. When the data is decoded by the channel, it is first demultiplexed, and the transmission stream is divided into video and audio, so that the video, audio and data are separated, and integrated in the CPU dedicated to the digital TV set-top box. More than 32 programmable PID filters, two for video and audio filtering, and the rest for PSI, SI and Private Data filtering . The CPU is the operating platform of the embedded operating system. It must complete network management, display management, conditional access management (IC card and smart card), teletext decoding, data decoding, OSD, and video signal up and down with the operating system. And other functions. In order to achieve these functions, many new functions must be extended on a common 32- to 64-bit CPU, and the speed must be continuously increased to meet the requirements of high-speed networks and three-dimensional games.

MPEG －2解码 MPEG-2 decoding

MPEG -2 is one of the key technologies in digital TV. Currently, the practical video digital processing technology is basically based on MPEG-2 technology, and MPEG-2 is all specifications including transmission from the network to high definition television. MP@LL is used in VCD, and H.263 and H.261 for video conferencing and video telephony are a subset of it. MP@ML is used for DVD, SDTV, and MP@MH for HDTV.

MPEG-2 image The signal processing method is divided into four steps: motion prediction, DCT, quantization, and variable length coding. The circuit is composed of an ASIC circuit with a RISC processor as the core.

MPEG The -2 decompression circuit includes video, audio decompression and other functions. In the video processing to complete the main picture, sub-picture decoding, it is best to have a layered decoding function. Teletext can be added to the main screen with the APHA overlay function. This requires the decoder to simultaneously demodulate the main picture image and teletext data, which requires high speed and processing power. The OSD is a layer of monochrome or pseudo-color subtitles, mainly used for user operation prompts.

In terms of audio, since DVB in Europe uses MPEG-2 sound, and ATSC in the United States uses Dolby AC-3, audio decoding requires both functions.

Digital TV set-top box software

After the digitalization of television, software technology in digital TV technology occupies a more important position. In addition to the implementation of audio and video decoding, including the reproduction of TV content, the realization of the operation interface, the implementation of the data broadcasting service, the interconnection of the set-top box and the personal computer and the interconnection with the Internet need to be implemented by software, as follows: 1 Hardware driver layer software: Driver driver hardware functions such as RF demodulator, transmission demultiplexer, A/V decoder, OSD, video encoder, etc. 2 Embedded real-time multitasking operating system: The embedded real-time operating system is relative to the desktop computer operating system. It is not installed in the hard disk. The system is compact in structure, relatively simple in function, small in resource development, and easy to be solidified in the memory. . The role of the embedded operating system is similar to that of DOS and Windows on a PC. The user performs a human-machine dialogue through it to complete the user-assigned designation. Designated to receive in a variety of ways such as: keyboard, mouse, voice, touch screen, infrared remote control. 3 Middleware: The open business platform is characterized by product development and production based on a business platform. The open business platform provides an independent operation mode for each link. Each link has its own profit and can generate multiple supply. Business. Only the open service platform can guarantee the scalability of the set-top box and ensure the effective recovery of investment. 4 upper application software: Perform various service functions provided by service providers, such as electronic program guides, video on demand, video on demand, data broadcasting, IP telephony and video telephony. The upper application software is independent of the STB hardware, and it can be used on various STB hardware platforms to eliminate the dependence of the application software on the hardware.

Display technology

In terms of televisions and computer monitors, CRT displays are a mature technology, but with low-resolution televisions displaying text, especially smaller than 24×24, the problem becomes complicated. The picture tube of the TV is a large pitch low resolution tube, which is only suitable for displaying images of 720×576 or 640×480. Its deflection system is fixed and designed for 525 lines of 60Hz or 625 lines of 50Hz. There are more than 18 display formats for digital TV. Internet access must conform to the VESA format. Obviously, the TV display system cannot accommodate such multiple formats. In addition, the television adopts an interlaced scanning method with a low frame rate. When displaying graphics and text, the luminance signal has a background flicker, and the horizontal straight line has an inter-line flicker. If you convert the progressive scan computer graphic to the TV set, the horizontal edge will only appear in the odd field or the even field. The screen display time is close to the visual persistence of the human eye, which will produce a sharp edge flicker phenomenon. To access the Internet, you must remedy the defects displayed on the TV.

According to the technical difficulty and cost, two methods are currently used for improvement. One is an anti-flicker filter, which adds the adjacent three lines of images proportionally to one line, so that only the images appearing in a single field are reproduced in each field. This method is called three-line filtering. The three-line filtering method is simple and easy to implement. However, the sharpness of the image is reduced, and it is suitable for an interlaced television set. Another method is to change the interlaced scanning into a progressive scan and increase the frame rate appropriately. This method multiplies the number of lines and the number of fields scanned, so that the number of images is not out of order, ensuring the continuity of the moving picture. Sex, must be done, field interpolation and motion compensation, must be realized with dedicated chips and complex technology. This way the quality of computer graphics displayed on the TV is very good, but it must be progressive and multiple. This can only be done on a TV with scanning function. In addition, the HDTV and VESA signals with higher resolution than the analog TV are played on the TV. Only part of the picture can be displayed. It must be reduced. This is like the PIP method, which is to lose and lose. Also to ensure the continuity of the image, the interpolation operation is also performed.

Add descrambling technique

The descrambling technique is used to encrypt and decrypt digital programs. The basic principle is to use the method of scrambling control word encryption transmission, and the user end uses the IC card to decrypt. In the MPEG transport stream, there are 2 data streams associated with control word transmission: authorization control information ( ECMS) And authorization management information (EMMs). The control words encrypted by the service key (SK) are transmitted in the ECMs, including program information such as program source, time, content classification, and program price. The service key encrypted for the control word is transmitted in the authorization management information, and the service key is subjected to encryption processing by the user's personal distribution key (PDE) before being transmitted. The EMMs also include address and user authorization information, such as programs or time periods that users can watch, and user fees.

User Personal Distribution Key (PDK) is stored on the user's smart card (Smart Card), on the user side, the set-top box obtains the EMM and ECM PID values according to the CA-descriptor in the PMT and CAT tables, and then filters out the ECMs and EMMs from the TS stream and passes the Smart The Card interface is sent to the Smart Card. Smart Card first reads the user's personal distribution key (PDK), decrypts the EMM with the PDK, takes out the SK, then decrypts the ECM with SK, takes out the CW, and passes the CW through the Smart. The Card interface is sent to the descrambling engine, and the descrambling engine can use the CW to descramble the scrambled transport stream.

Conditional access system

Conditional access system (CAS It is the core technology for pay TV, understand its operating mechanism, and master its use and maintenance is critical to the successful development of pay TV business. The composition of the CAS includes: a user management system SMS, a service information generation system SIG, a program management PMS/SI editing system, a program scheduling processing EIS, a user authorization management system SAS, a conditional access CA, and the like. There are two main blocks: one is the SMS that manages the user, and the other is the CA that manages the program. CA is mainly divided into two parts: one is the signal scrambling part, which is a random code generated by a random code generator (called the control word CW) to control the scrambler to scramble the signal; the second is the encryption part. In order for the scrambled signal to be successfully descrambled at the receiving end, the receiving end must also have a control word identical to the scrambled end to control Interference canceller Therefore, if the front-end CW is transmitted to the receiving end, if the direct transmission is easily intercepted by the hacker and the CAS is disabled, the CW is encrypted and transmitted. This encryption is a multi-layer encryption mechanism. To increase the security of CW transmission, the ciphertext generated directly by the first layer of CW encryption is called the authorization control information ECM, and is transmitted together with the scrambled code stream through the multiplexer. The ECM also contains time, program price, and program authorization. Control information and so on, so ECM is program-oriented management information. The key encrypted for CW is called the work key SK. SK is usually called the monthly key. It is changed once a month. Every time SK is changed, the system must authorize all users. The second layer encryption is performed by encrypting the SK with a program key PDK, and the generated ciphertext and the authorization information acquired from the SMS form the authorization management information EMM generated by the SAS. The EMM also contains the smart card number, the authorization time, User authorization information such as authorization level. This information is mainly to complete the authorization of the user, so the EMM is the management information for the user. The EMM authorizes the user at what time to watch and see what channel, and it is also transmitted through the multiplexer together with the scrambling code stream. The most basic encryption system of CA.

Development Status / Digital TV Set Top Box Edit

Digital TV set-top boxes will change the concept of our existing TV and will also be the Internet Provide a brand new consumer terminal, and this consumer terminal will be more popular, convenient and attractive than any other terminal such as PC, mobile phone and PDA. With the trial broadcast of cable digital TVs around the world, the promotion of digital TV set-top boxes has made great progress compared with a few years ago, but digital set-top boxes have not been widely used in China for several reasons: (1) The digital set-top box has a high technical content, and there are not many real products. Many manufacturers' VOD (video on demand) is in fact mostly in the concept stage. (2) Two-way network transformation and quality problems. Since the digital TV set-top box is subject to large network bandwidth constraints, especially the current domestic network development foundation is weak, and various network resources are each in the array, it will take time to popularize it. (3) Insufficient service and lack of professional ICP, that is, information and programming resources are poor. A major difficulty in the promotion and application of VOD services is the openness of the program source and the source and copyright. The establishment of the national cable TV backbone network and the emergence of professional film suppliers can alleviate this problem to some extent. Many manufacturers have developed based on The VOD system of hotels, hotels and communities is also to avoid this problem. (4) The tariff is too high, which is not a small expense for most users. The Chinese consumer psychology is able to withstand a large one-time acquisition cost, but is not willing to accept long-term continuous consumption payments without obvious returns.

Although the promotion of digital set-top boxes is greatly limited, digital TV set-top boxes are not only user terminals but also network terminals, which can make analog TV sets from passive receiving analog TV to interactive digital TV (such as video on demand, etc.). Can access the Internet, enabling users to enjoy a full range of information services such as TV, data, and language. With the development of digital technology, multimedia technology and network technology, the function of digital TV set-top box will be gradually improved, especially the development of single-chip PC technology, which will promote the built-in digital TV set-top box and the overall cost reduction, so that most users can use it on ordinary analog TV sets. Achieve a variety of services such as entertainment and Internet access.

Industry Development Status / Digital TV Set Top Box Edit

China's set-top boxes are developing rapidly. Due to the resources of the set-top box industry A series of changes are taking place in supply or product demand, leading the industry to gradually shift from other countries or regions to China's production and manufacturing. China has become the world's largest manufacturing center for set-top boxes. In 2007, China's set-top box market was dominated by cable set-top boxes. The set-top box market shipments reached more than 65 million units, an increase of 41.3% compared to 2006. Among them, the domestic set-top box shipments exceeded 30 million units, an increase of 49.32% compared with 2006. The domestic market set-top box shipments exceeded the foreign market for the first time; the cable set-top box market volume exceeded 25 million units at the end of 2007, an increase from 2006. Nearly 60%. In 2008, China's digital TV entered a period of vigorous development. In addition to the strong growth momentum of cable digital TV, terrestrial digital TV has also made breakthroughs with the opportunity of the 2008 Olympic Games. In 2008, despite the impact of snowstorms, earthquakes and the global financial crisis, China's set-top box market is still in a boom cycle.

According to the "Fifteen-Year Plan for Radio, Film and Television Technology and the Vision for 2010", China will fully realize digital broadcasting and television in 2010, and will stop the broadcasting of analog broadcasting and television in 2015. Undoubtedly, the popularity of digital TV programs has become an inevitable trend, and the current form of conversion of China's 'analog TV set-top box' makes the set-top box market a huge business opportunity.

Development Trends / Digital TV Set Top Box Edit

It is reported that federal regulators have adopted new equipment standards in the eastern United States to accelerate the transition to higher-definition video quality digital TV.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) passed a 5-0 vote to pass equipment standards that allow digital TV signals to be directly connected to the TV without the need for set-top boxes and additional cables. In order to watch pay TV, the user inserts a security card provided by their cable television service provider into the television set.

Manufacturers hope to release this plug-and-play technology by the end of next year High definition television. They said that the Federal Communications Commission's decision would increase consumer demand and stimulate companies to increase production and further popularize the new TV set.

Unlike traditional analog TV, digital TV signals use computer language. The image is clearer and has other potential features such as Internet access, video games, and multiple sets of programs on the same channel. Digital signals can be transmitted via satellite, cable or wireless broadcast.

Digital TV systems can basically be divided into front-end hardware systems (including multiplexers, scramblers, modulators in the figure) , digital TV set-top box), software system (CAS, SMS, EPG, data broadcast and a series of servers) and digital TV set-top box three parts.

Among the costs of the overall conversion of digital TV, the investment in set-top boxes has occupied an absolute share, reaching more than 90% of the entire investment. Due to the huge amount of funds involved, every move in the digital TV set-top box market can cause severe vibrations in the overall conversion of digital TV in the country.

The schematic structure of the set-top box can be seen that the structure of the set-top box is relatively simple. From a structural point of view, the set-top box generally consists of a main chip, a memory, a tuned demodulator, a return channel, a CA (Conditional Access) interface, an external memory controller, and an audio and video output. The most important part is the main chip and the tuned demodulator. The difference between these two parts largely determines the performance and price of the set-top box.

At present, there are many kinds of CA, downloader, EPG, data broadcasting and middleware systems in the Chinese market, and various value-added applications are various. The threshold for R&D, production, marketing and technical support of set-top box manufacturers has been greatly improved, and set-top boxes are difficult to mass-produce, reduce costs and improve reliability. On April 3 this year, the Ministry of Information Industry announced the separation standard for digital TV cards (technical specification SJ/T 11336-2006 and test specification SJ/T 11337-2006). The implementation of this standard, one can reduce the function of the set-top box and reduce the cost of the set-top box; the second is to increase the function by this expansion interface, to increase the income from value-added services; the third is to expand the voluntary purchase by the people in case of no need to re-invest in it. Business, relying on the extension products that the people own or purchase, reducing duplication of investment; Fourth, strongly supporting the production and research and development of digital TV integrated machines (built-in set-top boxes in TV sets); fifth is the 'home appliances for digital TV set-top boxes ", sales outlets from network companies to home appliances stores, allowing users to choose their own set-top box brands, this can effectively reduce the network company's sales funds and after-sales service pressure.

Development Space / Digital TV Set Top Box Edit

The digital set-top box is not only a user terminal but also a network terminal, which can make an analog TV set from passively receiving analog TV to interactive digital TV (such as video on demand, etc.) and can access the Internet. To enable users to enjoy a full range of information services such as TV, data, and language. At present, some people think that the set-top box is used to make the TV online. This is a misunderstanding. In fact, the digital set-top box is one of the members of the broadband integrated information network before the popular digital TV. With the development of digital technology, multimedia technology and network technology, the built-in digital set-top box and the overall cost will be reduced, so that most users can realize various services such as entertainment and Internet access on ordinary analog TV sets.

In short, the set-top box, as an iconic product of digital TV, has a broad space for development. With the development of digital TV applications, chip technology and software technology, the functions of STB will also become more and more powerful, and it can provide more services for operators and users to meet different levels of needs.

The technical solution provided by the present invention can implement the upgrade of the latest version of the set top box, so it has the advantage of automatic upgrade.

Optionally, the foregoing method may further include: before upgrading the set top box according to the upgrade file:

The set top box separately saves the history of the viewing program, and loads the history file of the viewing program after upgrading the upgrade file to the set top box.

Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 provides a control device based on a set top box. The device includes: a detecting unit 201, configured to detect the latest version in the network, and obtain latest version information; and a processing unit 202, configured to use the latest version information and The local version information is compared. If the comparison is different, the upgrade file of the latest version information is downloaded, and the set top box is upgraded according to the upgrade file.

Optionally, the obtaining unit 201 is configured to obtain the first version information of the set top box in the network. If the first version information is different from the locally stored version information, determine that the first version information is the latest version information.

It is apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the above-described exemplary embodiments, and the present invention can be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims instead All changes in the meaning and scope of equivalent elements are included in the present invention. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the claim. In addition, it is to be understood that the word 'comprising' does not exclude other elements or steps, and the singular does not exclude the plural. A plurality of units or devices recited in the system claims can also be implemented by a unit or device by software or hardware. The first, second, etc. words are used to denote names and do not denote any particular order.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the invention. In this regard, each block of the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment, or a portion of code that includes one or more of the Executable instructions. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may also occur in a different order than that illustrated in the drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks may be executed substantially in parallel, and they may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It is also noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowcharts, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowcharts, can be implemented in a dedicated hardware-based system that performs the specified function or function. Or it can be implemented by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

Referring to FIG. 3, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a set top box 300. The set top box 300 includes, but is not limited to, a personal computer, a notebook computer, or a group of computers. As shown in FIG. 3, the server includes the device 30 including a processor 301, a memory 302, a transceiver 303, and a bus 304. The transceiver 303 is configured to transmit and receive data with and from an external device. The number of processors 301 in device 300 may be one or more. In some embodiments of the present application, processor 301, memory 302, and transceiver 303 may be connected by a bus system or other means. Apparatus 300 can be used to perform the method illustrated in FIG. For the meaning and examples of the terms involved in the embodiment, reference may be made to the corresponding description of FIG. 1. I will not repeat them here.

The program code is stored in the memory 302. The processor 301 is configured to call program code stored in the memory 302 for performing the steps as shown in FIG.

It should be noted that the processor 301 herein may be a processing component or a general term of multiple processing components. For example, the processing element can be a central processing unit (Central Processing Unit, CPU), can also be a specific integrated circuit (Application Specific Integrated Circuit, ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement embodiments of the present application, such as one or more microprocessors (digital signal) Processor, DSP), or one or more Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs).

The memory 303 may be a storage device or a collective name of a plurality of storage elements, and is used to store executable program code or parameters, data, and the like required for the application running device to operate. And the memory 303 may include random access memory (RAM), and may also include non-volatile memory (non-volatile memory) Memory), such as disk storage, flash (Flash), etc.

Bus 304 can be an industry standard architecture (Industry Standard Architecture, ISA) bus, Peripheral Component (PCI) bus or extended industry standard architecture (Extended Industry Standard Architecture, EISA) bus, etc. The bus can be divided into an address bus, a data bus, a control bus, and the like. For ease of representation, only one thick line is shown in Figure 4, but it does not mean that there is only one bus or one type of bus.

The user equipment may also include input and output means coupled to bus 304 for connection to other portions, such as processor 301, via a bus. The input/output device can provide an input interface for the operator, so that the operator can select the control item through the input interface, and can also be other interfaces through which other devices can be externally connected.

A person skilled in the art can clearly understand that for the convenience and brevity of the description, the specific working process of the system, the device and the unit described above can refer to the corresponding process in the foregoing method embodiment, and details are not described herein again.

In the several embodiments provided by the present application, it should be understood that the disclosed systems, devices, and methods may be implemented in other manners. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of the unit is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be another division manner. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or Can be integrated into another system, or some features can be ignored or not executed. In addition, the mutual coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be an indirect coupling or communication connection through some communication interface, device or unit, and may be electrical, mechanical or otherwise.

The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separated, and the components displayed as units may or may not be physical units, that is, may be located in one place, or may be distributed to multiple network units. Some or all of the units may be selected according to actual needs to achieve the purpose of the solution of the embodiment.

In addition, each functional unit in each embodiment of the present invention may be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit may exist physically separately, or two or more units may be integrated into one unit.

The functions may be stored in a computer readable storage medium if implemented in the form of a software functional unit and sold or used as a standalone product. Based on such understanding, the technical solution of the present invention, which is essential or contributes to the prior art, or a part of the technical solution, may be embodied in the form of a software product, which is stored in a storage medium, including The instructions are used to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to perform all or part of the steps of the methods described in various embodiments of the present invention. The foregoing storage medium includes: a U disk, a mobile hard disk, a read only memory (ROM, Read-Only) Memory, random access memory (RAM), disk or optical disk, and other media that can store program code.

Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are merely illustrative of the technical solutions of the present invention, and are not intended to be limiting; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that The technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments may be modified, or some or all of the technical features may be equivalently replaced; and the modifications or substitutions do not deviate from the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention. The scope is intended to be included within the scope of the claims and the description of the invention.

Claims

A control method based on a set top box, characterized in that the method comprises the following steps:

The set-top box detects the latest version in the network and obtains the latest version information;

The set-top box compares the latest version information with the local version information. If the comparison is different, the upgrade file of the latest version information is downloaded, and the set-top box is upgraded according to the upgrade file. .
The method according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining the latest version information comprises:

Obtaining the first version information of the set top box in the network. If the first version information is different from the locally stored version information, determining that the first version information is the latest version information.
The method according to claim 1, wherein the obtaining the latest version information comprises:

Obtain the upload time of the upgrade file of the set-top box in the network. The later the upload time, the higher the version.
The method of claim 1 further comprising:

Manage the power of the set top box.
The method according to claim 4, wherein the managing the power of the set top box comprises:

Calculate the working time of the set-top box, and estimate the operating habits of the set-top box according to the working time. The operating habits include: the working time range of the set-top box and the non-working time range, and the set-top box is standby in the working time range, and the set-top box is in the non-working time range. The power is off.
A control device based on a set top box, characterized in that the device comprises:

a detecting unit, configured to detect the latest version in the network and obtain the latest version information;

The processing unit is configured to compare the latest version information with the local version information. If the comparison is different, the upgrade file of the latest version information is downloaded, and the set top box is upgraded according to the upgrade file.
The device according to claim 6, wherein the obtaining unit is specifically configured to acquire first version information of the set top box in the network, and if the first version information is different from the locally stored version information, determine the first version. The information is the latest version information.
The device according to claim 6, wherein the obtaining unit is specifically configured to acquire an uploading time of an upgrade file of the set top box in the network, and the later the uploading time, the higher the version.
The device according to claim 6, wherein the processing unit is specifically configured to manage the power of the set top box.
The device according to claim 9, wherein the processing unit is specifically configured to count the working time of the set top box, and estimate the operating habit of the set top box according to the working time, the operating habit includes: the working time range of the set top box and the non Working time range, the set-top box is standby during the working time range, and the set-top box power is turned off during the non-working time range.